The Zozosuit: Fit of the Future, Part 2

Cal Lochridge

Jan 15, 20193 min read

Updated: Jan 16, 2019

Yusaku Maezawa's Zozotown is out to revolutionize the way we shop. This is a continuation of my experience with measuring and shopping using the iconic "Zozosuit."

Two months later, the Zozo order arrives.

Well here it is, folks! After two months of waiting and some considerable procrastination on my part, I'm finally getting around to the second and final part of the Zozosuit saga. If you haven't read the first post, check it out here for context.

I left off in my last post waiting for my order to arrive as the app had informed me that it would take 4-5 weeks to ship. In reality, the order took over two months to arrive with a really annoying period in which the shipping status showed as shipped, but the package was just sitting in Minnesota or something.

But what happened between the 15th and the 28th??

Finally, on a cold day at the end of November, my order arrived. I had ordered a pair of Zozo's "one wash" indigo jeans and the light blue oxford shirt. All items arrived safe and sound and looked good right out of the box (packing envelope).

The good:

I was very impressed by the quality of the fabric. The oxford shirt was made from a nice heavy cotton weave that has a good heft to it while still maintaining an acceptable level of comfort. The jeans also felt like they were made with quality materials and construction. The "one wash" indigo color has a nice, deep inkiness that works well in a both dressed up casual style and a more relaxed business casual look to wear around the office. The fabric is mostly cotton with a little bit of stretch to it (99% Cotton, 1% Elastane) , but also has a decent weight. I would guess the denim is probably 11-12oz and feels like quality wide cloth - better than Uniqlo, but worse than non-selvedge Nudie.

The bad:

The clothing didn't fit.

I know what you're thinking: "But Cal, isn't the whole point of the zozosuit and whatnot to achieve a custom fit?" And I want you to know that we're both thinking the same thing. I was extremely disappointed with the fit in both pieces. While the shirt fit fairly well in the arms and wrist, the garment was way too large in the chest and neck.Even though the shirt is cut as a slim fit the whole piece looked and felt baggy on me.

The jeans were a little better in that they fit me (slightly baggy in the waist, but overall good) - but the shape was bizarre. The pants started at a regular mid-rise waist, but then had almost no taper throughout the hip and thigh (they may have actually increased the thigh relative to the waist). They then started a strong taper at the knee to end in a cuff that was almost too tight. Now I know that I have what some might call more "athletic" hips and thighs, but I estimate that I had a good two inches of extra room at the tightest point in these jeans.

I'm not entirely sure why this happened, but as I looked back over my measurements and the numbers that Zozo assigned for me "Customer Fit," I noticed that there are some interesting discrepancies.

You'll notice that my chest is a 39.5" and my neck is a 15.5" in the screenshot above. But in you look at my Custom Fit:

For some reason, Zozo's algorithm (?) added almost six inches to my chest and two inches to my neck. I'm no clothing doctor, but that seems like a lot. In fact, if I were to try to quantify how I felt about my fit, I'd say my shirt was about five inches too baggy in the chest and one and a half inches too baggy in the neck.

The takeaway:

I really like what Zozo is doing here. I think everyone has had that moment when they find a piece of clothing that fits great except _________. I think Zozo has a great story and, based on the quality of fabric and construction, the makings of a great product. However, a major part of Zozo's story and product is the assertion that they are able to deliver a custom fit garment. My experience thus far is that the company just isn't there yet.

I've noticed that Zozo is working on expanding their inventory of customizable products, so here's to hoping that they're able to work these bugs out soon.

Oh, and check out the video review I did on this as well!